


Sweet Dreams

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Kissing, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 00:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4039702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tough case takes its toll.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet Dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [severity_softly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/severity_softly/gifts).



> Written for the lovely severity_softly who gave the prompt “chocolate”. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2009.

“It just…doesn’t make sense,” Emily Prentiss was saying, staring in dismay at the crime scene photos spread out on the table before the team.

Reid nodded, sucking thoughtfully on the end of a pen. “That one section of blood spatter is certainly incongruous with the rest…” he murmured from the side of his mouth. Prentiss and JJ exchanged bemused smiles over the top of his head.

“We’re missing something. We gotta be,” Morgan agreed, pulling the file across the table and flicking through it. He leaned back in his chair, two of the legs dangling in the air as he tried to find something they’d missed. He might not have Reid’s memory but he _knew_ this case. And yet there was something wrong here. Something he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Daniel Porter,” Hotch said, striding into the room. All eyes turned to him.

“We’ve ID’d the UnSub?” Rossi asked, surprised.

“Not exactly,” Hotch said glumly. “Daniel Porter was the first responder on the scene.” The others exchanged confused glances as Hotch paused. “He had a nosebleed.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Morgan exclaimed, throwing the file onto the table and setting his chair back on to the floor. “And he didn’t think that was important enough to mention until now?”

“He’s being duly reprimanded,” Hotch calmly replied. “But the main point is…”

“…our profile isn’t wrong,” Rossi said, standing up.

Hotch nodded. “Which means we need to tell the Sheriff and his men what we’re looking for.” He headed back out the door, not bothering to look back and make sure they were following. He knew they would be.

@ @ @ @ @

Reid wanted to say “it’s not your fault.” He wanted to touch Rossi, even if only with a fleeting hand against his back. He wanted to be the one that went with him to visit the victim, _Abigail’s,_ mother. But he knew the words would be unappreciated. He was too far away to touch. And Prentiss had the unenviable task of joining him in telling a mother her child would never be coming home.

So instead he sat at the bar of the hotel, sipping a green coloured drink Morgan had foisted on him and trying not to make it look like he was watching the door for anybody in particular.

“He’s going to be at least another hour.”

Reid looked up guiltily and then tried to cover himself. “Who?” Morgan just shook his head and Reid sighed. The trouble with the BAU profilers was that you could never forget just how good they were.

“Maybe you should get some sleep? You look pretty beat.”

Reid started to object and then the weariness in his bones made him think twice. It had been a hard case, even for them, and things had gone from spectacularly bad to even worse before they’d got their men. One professional killer who’d been slicing and dicing victims for nigh on 30 years without getting caught and his young protégé, eager to please his master. What’s worse was Reid had seen a lot of himself in the young killer, and he was certain the others had too.

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.” He handed Morgan his glass. “You can finish that.”

“Thanks,” Morgan replied with a grin and then downed the green liquid in one before exaggeratedly smacking his lips. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

Reid laughed despite himself and leaned into Morgan’s touch as Morgan slapped him on the shoulder.

“Goodnight, kiddo.”

@@@@@

Reid was lying fully clothed on his bed, his eyes closed. He couldn’t sleep but he wasn’t quite awake enough to undress either. There was something itching at the back of his mind, but his head was too full of possibilities for him to focus on just the one.

His stomach grumbled and he sighed, still not opening his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had something to eat. He was just contemplating moving and maybe ringing for some room service when a sound by the door had him immediately on the alert. He kept very still as the door was opened and the light from the corridor outside hit his closed eyes. Then as whoever it was stepped inside he reached for the gun he kept by his bed and raised it, pointing directly at the intruder’s head.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Rossi said, his voice unmistakable. Reid relaxed and put his gun down.

“How did you get in here?”

Rossi gave a tired smile and slipped further into the room, closing the door behind him. “Amazing what service you can get when you flash your badge.”

He stood by the door, staring around at the sparsely decorated room and looking lost.

“Sit down,” Reid urged, patting the bed next to him. “Have you eaten? I could call…”

“I got some chocolate out of the vending machine,” Rossi told him. He sat down and produced a couple of bars of chocolate, handing one to Reid. “Here.”

“Oh, thanks,” Reid replied. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it would fill the gap, so he unwrapped it and took a couple of bites, savouring the taste on his tongue. He wasn’t aware that Rossi was watching him closely until the other man leaned forward and brushed some chocolate from around his mouth.

“You have…” Rossi started to explain, then he cupped Reid’s chin with his hand and tilted him forward into a kiss. It was soft and gentle and then became more demanding. Reid pulled Rossi back on to the bed and on top of him, their lips never stopping from touching.

They lay like that for long minutes, just exploring each other’s mouths, until Rossi shifted to lie next to Reid.

“We should get some sleep,” Rossi murmured. “Long flight back tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Reid agreed, a little regretfully. “You going back to your room?”

“I’m in my room,” Rossi said. Reid ducked his head and blushed. “I haven’t got the energy to get undressed.”

“Me either,” Reid replied. He got up just long enough to pull the spare blankets from the closet and threw them over Rossi and then himself.

Rossi smiled at him and Reid smiled back before they snuggled closer and drifted off to sleep. Whatever happened tomorrow, that was tomorrow’s problem.


End file.
